On-Site Treatment of Shale Gas Flowback and Produced Water in Sichuan Basin by Fertilizer Drawn Forward Osmosis for Irrigation

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Abstract
Fertilizer drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) was proposed to extract fresh water from flowback and produced water (FPW) from shale gas extraction for irrigation, with fertilizer types and membrane orientations assessed. Draw solution (DS) with NH4H2PO4 displayed the best performance, while DS with (NH4)2HPO4 resulted in the most severe membrane fouling. DS with KCl and KNO3 led to substantial reverse solute fluxes. FDFO operation where the active layer of the membrane was facing the feed solution outperformed that when the active layer was facing the DS. Diluted DS and diluted FPW samples were used for irrigation of Cherry radish and Chinese cabbage. Compared to deionized water, irrigation with diluted DS (total dissolved solid (TDS) = 350 mg·L-1) promoted plant growth. In contrast, inhibited plant growth was observed when FPW with high salinity (TDS = 5000 mg·L-1) and low salinity (TDS = 1000 mg·L-1) was used for irrigation of long-term (8-week) plant cultures. Finally, upregulated genes were identified to illustrate the difference in plant growing. The results of this study provide a guide for efficient and safe use of FPW after FDFO treatment for agricultural application.
Funding Information
  • Sichuan University (2019CDYB-25)
  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M612965, 2018T110973)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51678377, 51708371)
  • Yibin City People's Government (2019CDYB-25)

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